Porcelain enameled panel mounting



June 26, 1945. 4W A BARROWS 2,379,269

PoRc'ELAIN ENAMELED PANEL MOUNTING Filed Sept. 25, 1945 Wlliam ,4L/sijn drraw INVEN TOR.

Patented June 26, 1945 PORCELAIN ENAMELED PANEL MOUNTING William Austin Barrows, Hamilton County, Ohio Application September 25, 1943, Serial No. 503,827

1o claims. '(ol. 18s-,88) f l This invention relates to porcelain enameled Y panels, and to an improved method and means for effecting the mounting and application of such panels for architectural and similar purposes.

An object of the invention is to provide a new method and means for simplifying and expediting the application of porcelain enameled panels, and for reducing costs in connection therewith.

Another object is to provide for such improvements as will enhance the appearance of the finished paneling job, due to the latitude provided for adjusting the relative positions of the panels during application thereof to a wall or other support, and to the relative independency of panels whereby any panel may be shifted, removed, orv

applied without disturbing adjacent panels.

Another object of the invention is to provide means of the character stated, the several elements of which may be standardized to the maximum extent possible in the interests off cost, ease of application, and simplicity, thereby dispensing with'the need for special tools and highly developed skill in mounting of the panels.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the means described herein and disclosed in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a group of panels mounted and arranged in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional View taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the panels constituting the group of Fig. 1.

faces, particularly store fronts and the like, by

applying thereto metallic panels of one type or another, the mounting of which was usually effected by means of clips adapted to hold the panels to the surface undergoing decoration or refacing. Usually, the clips were permanently fastened to the surface or supporting area for the panels, and with the use of various expedients the panels were fastened to the mounting clips.

In the majority of instances, various vdifficulties lwere encountered in properly mounting the clips and panels due to irregularities in the supporting surface and limitations concerning the placement of the clips thereon, all of which often resulted in defective mounting which sometimes marred the appearance of the finished paneling job even though executed by skilled workmen.v In other cases, 'the mountings were such as vto require certain definite spacings between panels, which resulted in the loss of 'flexibility or latitude in making a given number'of panels cover thev area to be faced. Such limitations, as encountered in the mounting of facing panels, often required special tting and 'skilled workmanship, and in some cases 'special panel sizes `or constructions, all of which addedto the cost of the job bothas to materials and labor.

In accordance with the present invention, means have' been provided for the incorporation of flexibility orlatitude 'in the ym'ounti'ngof panels, so that relatively'unskilled workmen might secure better results vand a liner degree of accuracy, thanwas heretofore' possiblev with the employment of skilled labor. Moreover, the means herein disclosed for the mounting of panels has 'the advantage' of expediting the work and reducing the cost thereof 'to a practical 'minimum Other advantages 'will be' pointed out as the description proceeds. i

The character 'l in all drawing views', indicates a metallic panel which is preferably in the form of a four sided pan, all'of the surfaces of which carry a suitable'coating'of porcelain enamel or similar material. In the main, the mounting of the panels involves applying clips such as is illustrated by Fig. 5, to the flanges of the panels, and thereafter fixing' the vclip bases to a Wall or other supporting structure. The ngers o`r tongues 'of the clip resiliently' grip the panel flanges. As willV presently'be explained in greater detail, some but'not all of theclips are to be'fixedly secured to the' wall vor other' 'support undergoing they application of panels.

With reference to Fig. 4, the panel 'l will be seenlto'c'onsist of 'a vmetallic 'sheet resembling a shallow pan, 'the pan Ahaving four sidesA which may be considered rearwardlyprojecting flanges 'disposed substantially at rightv angles to the lforward face of the pan' or pari'el.V The vertical sides or flanges are indicated by the characters 8, whereas the horizontal sides or flanges -fbear the reference characters 9. Along the full length of each of the four sidesI or anges, there is depressed or otherwise formed therein a longitudinal channel or recess AI 0 which is'located along aline beposes of this disclosure, to specify the vlus characters of coatings, or to attempt ashowing of the coating in the several viw'sof theiaccom panying drawing.

A building wall or other suitable support for the panels is indicated by the character I2',"and 'm'ay #be of wood; ibrick; stoner or `any otherematerial H f commonly employedV in :thei' erection of 'walls'- or :buildings -ToA fthe wallf or"supportielement v; I 2, mounting clips such as,r I8 mayr-beffastenedgiusing commonsecuring:meansofasteners:ofnny suitable type: of fwhich" the screwsA Ihmayfbecclonsidered exemplary. 1' z The"nio'ur'itingi:clip,dasA illus- Ytrated'jby Fig.A gconsists of a-fsubstaritially'vilat H'basen' I 5 having inwardlyetnrned fedges .flifthat :it serve;l in' effect; ito :increase gthe thickness -f offthe nbase- |51fon spacing the'banel ffiar'i'lges `li-i'orrrthe A-wall-orsupport'-asillustrialteirA at, I'I."o'i':=Fig.l 2. :The l`b'ase` of :the` mountingficlinA mayrfbe-nrforated; to

receive irfastenei';asf4 indicatedrat I8. Y 'n @ne-end'oftheeb'as; H5 is slotted sureste 'divide `@the materia-li of theabase into 's'eriesi of tongues or fingers, outermost onesif'ofuwhiclrr'e indicated r'bythercharacters- I9. `'l'he Li'r'ee'endar of'ithese tongues or slingers "maybeslightly as shown, -f tofacilitate ,entry off .thefpanlsflangestherbetween. v-ilheinterindiateitonguef o'rz lfinger. :only "one of fwh'ich is illustrated'i inethatform= of rclip `'"shown 11T-Fig'. 5;'f.carries' the=reference 'character r 2Il.' 1' As .willbeunderstood, the7 number; offinternmediate; tongues." orngersf=maye-befincreased if fdesiredrf The.1 intermediate', tongueisfseen tolbe f locatedz in `aplane spaced'fronritherplane ofithe -endmost tonguesoriing'er'sbya distance 'approximating the thickness of a panel-`dlange-izriAll of the tongues` are disposedrapproximately at .fright angles: tof'therplane ofthe"mountingf clipezbase. -Each tongueror fingen carries actransverse 1depression 2'I'so pressed-into? themetalfasto'iorm a -rib on^thefoppositeiside ofvxtheinger'orf-tongue, as indicatedjat22,jfthef recesswandfrib of;r each tongue being-adapted to correspondfWit-h and,` en- 44VgageY the complementary recessesmlndfibs of-the panel-flanges.t Recesses- 2I areso-locatedupon thel tongues or--ngeraw as.Y to-A engage -the rcooperative part of a-panel'ffiange-.when the peripheral edge 23 of'the'-fiange is inl contactl withsthe: edges f I 6 of .the Amounting -clip'=baseiianges.f ill-his rrelationship of parts isaclearlyfiindl'catedby-'Figs. 2 @and 3.

"'As illustrated-by; Fig, 6; the: severabtongnesor J-flrigers of themountin'g clip might, if: desiredpbe providedwith arrecess-2I0 flankedby asharp fr pointedprojection'vZl, the-)object ofethisaconstructionf` being to' providemeans` .ony the tongueor finger-,capable of diggingvintovthemoatingmr pos- -sibly into -th'e metal* of thempanel fflange; litself, f ff thereby `toi-resist with incmasedfpowerthe sepa- Zfration' of a'\panelwfromnthemounting-clips" It y will be iunderstoodrlthat:`r theffmodied-f-formv of c mountingfclip Fwouldhave'fprojections-lsuch as24 applied to each of the several tongues or ngers of the clip, and should it be considered necessary or desirable, the tongues or the pointed projecting portions may be tempered or hardened. While as illustrated in the drawing, the projection 2l is formed by merely punching a sliver or point from the material of the tongue, it should be understood that any satisfactory equivalent means maybe resorted to for the formation of a pointed f projct'ion Acapable of `pei'forining the function "stat`ed. "I'he'extremeends4 of' the tongues or n- .gers may be bent to provide a throat to facilitate r"'entry of the panel flange into the space between 5 -the outermost and the intermediate tongues or illingera this condition being indicated at the locations 25 of Fig. 2.

*In the'mounung of the panels, it may be exff plainedin-connect-ion with Fig. 1 that the appli- K cationof panels might begin, for example, at the 'f lower right corner of Fig. l, where the lower row zaoffclips I3A is rst fastenedto awallor SilDDOrtfing structure-,fin position Ytolreceive between their ytongues; or lingers the lowerfperipheral flangesof the panels. The panels of the lower row may then be prepared for application to the supportfing structurefbyapplyingto the upperhorlzontal `-flla,ng f eis thereof,:the -rnounting `clips indicated :at i IBB. With fthe Yclips A,I 3B applied- :to -thevppper horizontal ila-nge, the -panel-ymay :be lpressed ,Y against .the supporting surface, while the lower 50 horizontal y, flange thereof, venters f 'between the j tongues `or :fingers of the lowermostclips IIA. j Withthapanel :therebyfheldY by the clips! I3A,the `clips, iBmay-be screwedA or: otherwisefastenedto 5 the..supportingstructura A fIn-applying-the planel'nextabove. it is--necessarypnly lioattach toits Y lower horizontal xflange airnounting'felpfjsuch as M3C, or preferably a plurality thereof; -wlagile` at the same ztime a pluralityf` of:;mounting.-clips A3D `are? clipped onto 40- Avt-,hafupperihorizontal ,-iiange-of theA panel. Y wThe l Y. panel isgheldv inzplace; by` inserting thej bases of theclip. or clips I 3Cbehind Athe lowermost panel a distancesuchas will-provide a-=desired spacing l;ei',ye enpanels, and then xingthe mounting -clips -ISDtothesupporting structure. The spacing of panels betweenthe clipsrISBrand- IBC may be,V- varied yc,on`sider:a,b1y,,thereby Vmaking it- `possi- Ible''ffor the-mechanic to. uniformly space vagiven number lof panels between the-fioor'lineandlthe 50.-.l ceiling r line, or` between thetioor- -lineand1 any established higher elevation pointupon the sup- .y porting structure.

In applying thev nal row ofz'panels, or ther uppermost lpanelsofFig. Leach/upper panelwill be prepared' for application by attaching'thereto v one or more clips I3E. Beforeapplying the final panel, the mounting clips: I3F-willbe properly j locatedupon the supporting structure and-fas- :tenedkthe'retd so that-,upon inserting the clip or clips I3E behind the sub-adjacent paneL'the-upperhorizvontal flange of the uppermost panel may be foi-cedv into engagement with-thepreviously fastened mountingk clips I 3F.

.Thefforegoing procedurewill be found to effect a'rcons'iderable savingof f time and- 1abor, over v.methods or procedures'previously employed'infthe v 1 mounting of porcelain enameledpanels.n `At-this p pointinwtheexplanation itxmaybe noted-that .the'low'emostclips I3A'and the uppermost clips l i311'-P will necessarily be'fdistinguished from -clips suche as-I3B, C, D-and E, infthat the depressions 2'If-andribsf22 areV reversed in' order toaproperly -:accommodate the correspondingdepessions and ribs oflthe :panel :iianges'held thereby;-- In other words, with reference to Fig. 5, the depressions 2| will be inverted to provide ribs appearing on those upper surfaces of the tongues or fingers that are observable in Fig. 5. The special clip thus provided can be manufactured easily by simply bending the tongues I9-20I9, and the flanges I6, to the opposite or rear face of the mounting clip base I5. This procedure requires no change in the mounting clip, except in the operation of bending in a reverse direction the tongues and the flanges aforesaid. If desired, the use of reverse clips may be avoided by supporting the starting and ending panels with regular clips applied to the vertical flanges of the panels, rather than to the horizontal flanges.

From the foregoing explanation, it will be evident that a very neat spacing of panels vertically may be effected with great speed and facility, as it is only necessary to place a suitable thickness gauge between adjacent panels as they are applied in a row vertically. The spacing of panels laterally may be achieved in a similar manner, and with considerable speed and facility, due to the fact that the continuous channels or recesses in the horizontal flanges permit shifting of the panels horizontally to any desired extent, even after the panels have been applied to the supporting structure. After all panels have `been thusly applied to the supporting structure, the space between them may be filled with putty, mortar, or any other suitable i'lller material, to complete the job.

With further reference to the mode of application, it should be appreciated that the panels in some instances may require the use of a considerable number of mounting clips, applied either along two panel anges as previously explained, or along all iianges of the panels. In the event that clips be applied to three or four anges of a panel, rather than to two opposite flanges, the possibility of shifting the panels sub-` sequently to mounting them will necessarily be lost to a great extent, but in the majority of those instances no need arises for the shifting of panels, particularly when the panels are of'large dimensions and are used in producing pilaster or like effects. The use of mounting clips upon all flanges of a panel, however, does not interfere with the desired replacement or removal of panels individually, which is an advantage of considerable merit as it allows for repairs or replacements of damaged or defaced panels at any time subsequently to the initial installation. y

From the foregoing, it will be observed that the panel mounting means and method of the present invention afford many advantages over the means and methods heretofore resorted to in the art. To mention a few of the advantages. it should be appreciated rst, that once the lower row I3A of mounting clips has been applied to the supporting structure, the clips and panels are unitarily applied to the supporting structure, thereby automatically and definitely locating lthe intermediate clips in positionl for attachment to the supporting structure. In other words, the clips need not be prepositioned before application of the panels. Another advantageous feature is the fact that the mounting clips'may be applied anywhere along any flange of the panel. and in. that way a satisfactory surface' may be selected upon the face of the supporting structure for proper fastening ofthe clip bases. This.

will be seen to have a distinct advantage espe'- cially where the surface of the supporting struc# ture may be uneven or .otherwise unsuited for the fastening of mounting clips at certain locations thereon. v

' YFew or many mounting clips may be applied to each panel, as may be required under varying circumstances or conditions of application, and it is unnecessary to permanently fasten any of the mounting clips to the panels as a factory operation. By providing mounting clips with the spacing flanges I6, the clips perform to hold the panels on a definite plane from the building, once the panels have been applied.

In addition to the facility with which adja-A cent panels may be spaced apart, as hereinbefore explained, it may be noted that the panels are independently mounted and any one of them may be removed without disturbing contiguous panels. In the exempliflcation of Fig, 1, removal and replacement of panels is unnecessary for the establishment of vertical spaces between vertical columns of panels, for the reason that any of the panels may be slid sidewise or horizontally to provide the desired spacings between vertica rows of panels. j

The panels and clips of the present invention may be manufactured at low cost, and without the use of complicated machinery, due to the standardization and uniformity practiced in the shaping of the several elements. For example, it will be noted that all panels are identical, and the flanges thereof are indistinguishable in shape and size. This feature' not only facilitates applif cation of the panels on the job, .but simplifies also the manufacturing procedure. So far as the reverse type of starting and ending clips is concerned, these may be dispensed with under conditions of application requiring no concealment of the mounting clip bases at the lowermost and uppermost horizontal courses of panels. When conditions require it, however, the mounting clip bases may be concealed as previously explained.

As was stated previously herein, the ribs and recesses of the panel flanges may be either continuous or interrupted along the length Vof the flanges, so long as ample provision is made for the applica-tion of sufficient numbers of mounting clips. It is desirable also that the ribs and recesses lbe sufficiently long, where engaged by a clip, to allow for at least a limited amount of panel shiftability as explained in connection with Fig. 1.

Fig. 7, which is a fragmental view similar to Fig. 2, shows a modification wherein the flange of a panel 80 is made plain, that is, without forming ribs and recesses therein, the Yplain flange of the panel being held by the tongues or fingers |90 and 200 of the mounting clip |30, with the aid of sharp pointed barbs I9I, which are best illustrated by Fig. 8. Except for the provision of the barbs in place of the recesses or de,- pressions 2l on the mounting clip -tongues or fingers, the mounting clip of Fig. 7 is a duplicate of that illustrated by Figs. 2 and 5. The tongues or fingers I S0 and 200 are preferably of spring metal properly tempered, so that when the barbs ISI are punched therefrom, they will present exceedingly sharp and hard points such as `may partially penetrate the porcelain enamel or other coating carried bythe panels and their flanges. The panel flanges are presented to the barbed tongues in the same manner as Was explained in connection with the type of clip illustrated by Fig. 5, and the application of panels to a supporting structure employing the modified clip of Figs. '7 and 8 may follow the same procedurey as was previously related herein. It maybe noted,

I 1., Inga. suffice covering. system ofthe classdel ,.,scripedQ Lia .J siflp'porting` structure, facing Arp azirels ooohhoving s body Portionen@ flanges .diooood rearwardly at approximateljf a. rightlongletoftlie ,bpdyportion,. said .flanges,peing uniform .in shape,

size, `,andiqngnlority, find; yerich. bearing a `con- Y depi-ession coextcnsiye. ,withl the length .of the nge", rthe.reversesside. of. th'e..deprless ion .forma ,.coresponding rib' ,ondv mens engageable nich une depressions @panos anywnere (along ne ,extentpf l, the panel-Haugen for mounting .the ,viiooolfupon tho suoportissfstruoiuro insoodiion V,to pershlftedpodly relntiyeto an adjoent panel, ,and in' tlie, plone. of, the', letter, fors `estnafnlislll.ent of a predetmindspacing between panels, nd fasnsafbutmemi Qn fflhmounting means for; '39H' Looping' ,the panel 'flanges .and maintaining the `pg\a.\,$isinancolnnionplane spaoel `from the sup- ,nortinsfstruoturo l 3. In `alsuxflaice ooyeijing system of. :ther-classl-de- ,sxibedgl alsuppfoiti'ng Qstrnctnre, `I inisl'iin'gflpeiiiels :tos oyeplie, the :suppoingA structure, eachv incliidingc ai pluijo'lity oficventicalsanges Aextended va, comision ,y direction, T and .means f.mounting said panels `shiftsloly nponf said `structure f for'l varying stile( spacing betyv'een'.y adjacentpanels, saidmoprit ing means rincliu'iing a flanged base, thefflalnges .of wihihbse seijve Josspacers for the panels in their geiatignship to ph'esuppornngstfuture.

' Lslnasllif'ce coverin'g'zsyst'em .ofltnelclass iersrlped', ka, supportlngfstruoture, f'ning'spanels nayngsabpdyportion. andiiangesuniected gegljxyarcllyof't oppnoxiinetelyf alight ,sanglqto the Pod-vo1ionnsoo eoses boing .uniform `in shops, Sizonondooslllsityf JoQd-ooohfboarfms@dolorose 19?, tle'rlyeyerse l side ,of the f depression ,forr'nidng oeorrospoedns rib, oodfmoons onsosooble with -tliedepiiessions and lribs.anywherealong the .ex- ,sont of ne, qopressmssnd rios, @mounting Phooassleoooshampooing. sifooiosein ooo- ...sonnthorovooss sdoofim depression forming a oorsspoodinszrbfodmoonslensosooblo withiho eonsossionsfond ribs anywhere, alongv the extent of the depressions ond-Jiba ,fvonzmountingnthe Panel: upon,fthe,-supppstipgsstmcture(in: condition mbo yshiflwsdfJoool1y-.relativo .to onodiaoent pensi,

enden 191.11%I?.11\1e...0fI the. latterfforf establishment off oq-Rrods'tormnodfspooing lootwoenfponelsnand an @hummm-oooh mounting meensfforloonsmiling. ,the tonnel. l flanges fand, .maintoiningnme panels.in afsommoo plone spaced Tfronmhe suploortingstmoturo- 6. As @new` article ,o'imanufacture, agmounting l,clin-fon .moine panels, :oomprisngobase portion ,and a.- .sorios lof.. resilient tongues extending from Nthe ba'seipoption substentially`- at right,- angles llflerevizoy, 4ailtferniatte piles of @.salid, vtongues being, in ,different,planesgspacedapart, said tongues boing deformed.,transyorsslmo,provide oppossd'holding -,so reoesss and holding' :ribsffor accommodating-.similar recesses and ribs of a panel, and panlpacing A ofthe pasefpontignn ,the directiono extensionrof ihoonsuesn n '?,.Asa.,` newnarticlepfmanuacture. @mounting linion ooioglpanels, ,comprising a 7bosse -por- `tion Lond@ sessies,4 oflviesilient tongues., extending fromthepnse portion, substantially marient ang-les thereto, ,oilteiqnatel ones off said ytongues., beingl in l0 Aoliiier(sgritlp-lzgg1-es2 spaed @part- ,seidytongues ybeing Loi@fellssi'oro,nsvossolxto proyidoopnosodfholding oooes and holding nbs fonaooommodatins simi- :ler: rooosossto-.nd .ribs ,oi a panel, and, penelopes- ,ngmeansin'tneIoi-m of@ flangeztuyned oponfon ,45 ledgeypfrthebsseportion in the direction-Oteli- ,tensionv of tthe tongues saidflange intersecting 1511.,Dlne. ,of et, 4least vgne, ,tonguenandw restingfjn substantial, snowing relationship to nel spa between theplanes offthe tongues.

8.Ab Vlsiiewr article of, n 'ianuia,ctui.eaJ mounting ,olip or -ieofodiooine Panels, vcomprising-,-Mose portion s .ndn series of resilient- .tonguesextending, from' the losse-portion: substantially at, right ingles thereto, lr P,ilyiaeigziate'.,ones of .said .tongues tialnglallelism, for-,snug reception. of a-fiange of tne'pgnelmandia,papel leveling stopfen the base PQFfQncQQmPIgisngia base lange extending In ntheV Asoigne digetionus, the tongnesnnd substan- @all-Y..Sperlflgghespaoobetween none planes ,ef

plane of the latter, for establishment of a predetermined spacing between panels.

-10. Surface covering means for a supporting structure, comprising facing panelseach having a body portion and flanges directed rearwardly at approximately a right angle to the body portion, said flanges being substantially uniform in depth and angularity and each bearing an elongated' depression formed lengthwise of the flange, the reverse side of the depression forming a corresponding rib, and means engageable with the depressions and ribs anywhere along the extent of the depressions and ribs, for mounting the panel upon a supporting structure in condition to be shifted bodily relative to an adjacent panel, and in the plane of the latter, for establishment of a predetermined spacing between panels, and a panel flange stop on each mounting means for contacting the flange and maintaining the panel at a predetermined spacing from the supporting 10 structure.

WILLIAM AUSTIN BARROWS. 

